Pink Lemonade
by nonsensepie
Summary: HIATUS. "Okay, do you have a headache?" "No." "Light headed? Dizzy?" "Nope." "Nausea?" "Well I'm not in a vehicle, so no." "Feeling angry?" "Well I did just get a knee to the gut and had my arm almost ripped off by some random girl, but apart from that, not really?" Lucy's job hunt ends strangely after she gets saved by a pink haired bartender. Modern AU. Mature references. NxL
1. Chapter 1

"Excuse me sir, do you know if you have any jobs going at the moment?"

The older man shook his head.

"Not at the moment, young lady."

Lucy Heartfilia sighed but kept her face hopeful. This man was a few years older than she'd like to do this for but she had no option at the moment.

"If you have anything come up, will you please keep me in mind?" She winked, leaning on to the bar and pushing her chest together to add some more cleavage.

"I said we have nothing going at the moment, but I will hold on to your resume." The man looked unamused by the show he was just given and Lucy had no choice but to leave the bar area with her dignity intact.

"What the hell, that usually works?" She grumbled to herself, making her way back through the crowd to leave the crowded bar.

She was running short on money and on patience. Since she ran away from home a few months earlier, her savings were circling the drain. She could barely afford to keep feeding herself, let alone keeping her little dog Plue in the kennel any longer. As she was between homes, she couldn't very well have him with her in a hotel room. Though, he was small, he was a yappy little white Shi Tzu cross and there was a strict no pet policy. At this stage, the only option she had was to get a job and fast.

A few months ago, she had turned 18. As expected for a Heartfilia, she was sent off to gathering after gathering by her father to meet a 'respectable husband'. How he could think that it was okay to practically sell her off in the 21st century was beyond her. One day, she'd had enough. She'd packed up what belongings she could carry, grabbed Plue and ran from the mansion she hadn't called home in many years. She remembered being on the train from her hometown to Hargeon, her current residence, with the bitter thought that her father would miss the dog more than her, his daughter. That was almost 3 months ago.

"Did you hear? Salamandar's here!"

She turned her head, surprised she could hear anything over this music, to see two girls her age push past her. Wait, THE Salamandar? From Fairy Tail? Lucy gasped in excitement. Fairy Tail was the best bar in the country, winning award after award. Best customer service, best drinks, best music, best atmosphere, you name it! Lucy had heard of it and had wanted to go since she had her 18th birthday and could legally drink. **(AN:1)** And one of their most famous bartenders/DJ's was here?

Each bartender had a flair. She'd heard of one who could do tricks with ice, one who made ones that were so strong you'd only need one or two before you were drunk, and one that one sip felt like a bolt of lightning! Salamander's specialty was fire. The bar top being set on fire was something that happened regularly from what she heard. But what could he be doing in this town? Promoting for Fairy Tail? In another town, in a different bar? Not wanting to over think it, she followed the girls.

In the dark club and flashing lights she found a crowd of women a few metres away that caught Lucy's eye. That had to be him! Lucy pushed through the crowd and made her way to the middle where she found a tall man with blue hair and a tattoo above his right eye.

"Now now ladies, one at a time." Salamandar said, spinning a glass in his hand, which sent the girls into a squealing frenzy. He winked at Lucy, her heart beating in her ears. What was wrong with her? Why was she so flustered? Was it because he was famous? Had she had one too many?

He smirked and walked over to her. She'd obviously caught his eye. Oh yeah, move away ladies, this ones mine. She smiled flirtatiously, using what didn't work on the older man from before.

"Why hello, I don't believe we've met, I'm Salamander," he kissed her hand and winked at her again.

"Lucy."

"Now Lucy, what would you say about coming to an exclusive party later on my yacht," he whispered in her ear, placing a hand on her waist. Normally she'd get weirded out by a complete stranger being this close to her but she swallowed her uncomfortableness down. It was a bar, people get in her personal space, you can't help that; she reassured herself. That was before she felt his hand fall from her waist to cup her ass. Okay, moment gone, he was a creep! Lucy felt her face twist in to a scowl as she tried to manoeuvre away from this asshole but he held a grip on her other arm instead.

"Hey, where are you going, babe? Party is just getting started."

"Let go of me," she hissed through her teeth. Before she could promptly kick this guy where the sun doesn't shine, he was pulled off her by the collar and pushed back in to the crowd.

"Watch your hands, buddy," her savoir said with venom in his voice.

Before he could do anything, one of Mister Assholes lackeys grabbed him and kneed him in the stomach. Lucy gasped and tried to push her way in between the two. Instead, she was pushed back by some girls who were cheering on the assault. What is wrong with these girls? Just because he was famous he could have his friends beat on someone who was trying to help her. She tried to yell over the crowd but the music coupled with the yelling was making it impossible for anyone to hear her.

Her savior was pushed back towards the door and thrown out, his head hitting the pavement with a crack and his bag falling off his shoulders. Lucy pushed through, determined to help him, elbowing a few people to get to him. She fell to her knees beside him just outside the entrance, her hand on his shoulder, ready to help him up and to the hospital if need be. His hoodie had fallen back and reviled a light head of hair and a scarf. She squinted. Is his hair pink? No, it must be because of the lights from the club streaming through the window. He hadn't raised his head yet, still rubbing the spot where he must have hit the pavement. Lucy winced, remembering the sound it made when he fell. She looked around for help, but found the bouncer wasn't even looking at them. What, was he blind? Did he think they were thrown out or were drunk or something? What a dick!

"Man, that hurt! Those guys are lucky I'm used to this sort of punishment."

Lucy frowned, confused, looking back to the boy. "Sorry?"

The guy shook his head, apparently not talking to her but himself. He pushed his hair away from his forehead and looked up at her. He was handsome, she decided straight way. Not a traditional model handsome, but interesting handsome. He had tan skin, either a natural tone or from being in the sun a lot and dark eyes that squinted at her. She realised she was standing where a light was hitting his eyes, making it hard for her to see. She stood up. Gaining courage, she held out her hand in offering.

"Thanks for your help. Now, let's get you to a hospital. You hit your head pretty hard there."

He eyed her hand for a moment. A moment later, he grinned, his eyes squinting even more when he smiled and took her offered hand. Leaning back she helped him up.

He was taller than her, she noticed first. While she was average height at 5'7 he stood over her by at least a few inches. 6' or 6'1 she guessed. The next thing she noticed was his hair. It was…pink? And it wasn't a trick of the light; his hair was actually a soft rose pink. It suited him perfectly, strangely enough.

"Why are you staring at me weirdo?"

Lucy felt her face grow hot instantly. Shit, was she staring, she didn't even realise! Great job, already looking like a complete nut job. She squeaked and broke eye contact.

"I-I was not staring. And I'm not a weirdo. Besides, I just helped you up. You should be saying thank you."

"Well, since I did just save you from a groping by that guy, I think I'm the one who's owed an apology."

There was no bite to his voice she noticed but he was right. She sighed and met his gaze, holding out her hand.

"Thank you, for helping me. "

He grinned, accepting her handshake and thanks. Walking over to his bag, he lifted it over his shoulders and waved at her.

"Well, see ya weirdo."

"Wait!"

"Hm?"

"You need to go to a hospital. You hit your head and if you've been drinking that could end really bad for you." Lucy walked over to him and grabbed him by his sleeve, dragging him in the direction of the hospital.

"Oi, I said I'm fine, weirdo. Let me go," he pulled his arm away, trying to get her to release her hold of him. She held on tighter. No way was she letting him leave without medical treatment first.

"One, no way you're fine after that. Two, my name is not weirdo, it's Lucy. And three, I can hold on tighter if you want." She tightened her grip on his arm to make a point. He stared at her transfixed for a moment, not expecting her reaction obviously. She didn't care. He helped her, now she was going to help him. Pulling him to the nearest park bench, she sat him down.

"Okay, do you have a headache?"

"No."

"Light headed? Dizzy?"

"Nope."

"Nausea?"

"Well I'm not in a vehicle, so no."

"Feeling angry?"

"Well I did just get a knee to the gut and had my arm almost ripped off by some random girl, but apart from that, not really?"

"Loss of sense of smell or taste?"

"No…"

"Ringing in your ears?"

"Just from you yelling at me before."

Lucy glared but was satisfied. He didn't seem to have a concussion but she wanted to keep an eye on him. Her mother was a nurse before she died so she wanted to make sure he didn't show any symptoms. But they don't always show right away.

She stood and brushed herself off. The pink haired guy did the same and started to walk away. She grabbed him by the back of his hoodie, causing him to stop and make a choking sound.

"Oi, weirdo! What are you doing?"

"Me? What are you doing?"

"Leaving?"

"Nu uh, you're not going anywhere until I keep an eye on you for a while." Her eyes softened.

"Come on, I'll shout you some food if you let me keep an eye on you until I know you don't have any brain injuries. Deal?" She held out her hand for him to shake on the agreement.

He eyed her suspiciously for a moment before grinning.

"Deal!" he exclaimed, shaking her hand.

 **(AN:1 Australia has a legal drinking age of 18 so it's what I'm used to. Also, it keeps their ages closer to what it was in the manga)**

 **I didn't proof read this as much as I should have, so please ignore any small errors.**

 **Please review if you liked it! Next chapter should be up in a few days so let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

The guy, Natsu, she discovered his name was, was the messiest eater she'd ever met. Bits of food were flying out of his mouth as he did his best python impression and eat his food whole. They were sitting in a booth at burger shop which was open to the wee hours of the morning, not too far from where they met. Not many people were there- the next busy spell occurred when the surrounding bars and clubs closed and everyone was hungry for a midnight snack before their drunken mission home.

They sat in relative silence, Lucy watching him. Her intentions were to observe him to ensure he didn't have a concussion, but so far, he seemed normal (enough) and had no symptoms of a concussion. One less thing to worry about.

She didn't have much of an appetite after the night she had, ordered a small fries and a small lemonade. Natsu, after discovering that when Lucy meant she'd buy him food she meant it, had ordered 2 burgers, onion rings, fries, a milkshake and a sundae. She groaned internally as he ordered; there goes the last of her food budget for the week.

When they received their order, she finally got a good look at her savoir. He was around her age, she'd guessed, give or take a few months, with pink hair that was a strange, almost rose pink which was shaved at the base of his head to give it an under cut that showed his naturally black roots. She could tell that he had spiked with gel earlier in the day and was now dropping down with gravity. She couldn't help but wonder what it looked like when he did spike it up.

His tanned face was bruised now from the altercation at the bar, but she could see a strong squared chin and soft cheeks, with a hint of his cheekbones peeking through. His nose, while straight enough, had the telltale signs of being broken once or twice. His almond shaped eyes were dark and large on his face with a hint of an epicanthic fold but fit well under dark eyebrows.

His clothes left her perplexed. He was wearing red hooded jumper with a yellow pattern across the sleeves. It was zipped closed, with a large white scarf draped around his neck. It was summer, why was he wearing a scarf? Coupled with the dark ¾ jeans and sandals, he was defiantly not dressed for the establishment she met him in.

It was the slurp of his milkshake and an impressive burp from his mouth that broke the silence.

"Aw man, I haven't had a meal like that in a while. Thanks loony."

"It's Lucy," she said dryly, wiping a some food that had come out of his mouth when he talked from her cheek. _Gross_.

"So, Natsu wasn't it?"

"Hm, hmm."

"If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing in there anyway? Before you helped me with that creep. Don't you think that was a little dangerous alone?" She made a face in remembrance of the encounter she had with Mister Asshole aka Salamander in the club. She was two seconds away from getting him where it hurts before Natsu stepped in, but who knows what would have happened if she had.

Natsu blinked at her. "Oh I'm not alone, I have my buddy here."

"Buddy?"

"In here." He pulled his backpack up from beside him and opened it up. A small cat poked his head out from the zipper and meowed. It looked to be a Persian blue with large eyes and a green bandana tied around his neck. Lucy's mouth fell open.

"Why is there a cat in your bag? Was he there this whole time?"

"Yeah, Happy comes with me everywhere." He said, as if it were normal, petting behind the small cats ears. The cat meowed and rubbed against his hand, affectionately.

"Happy?"

The cat meowed again, almost in reply.

"That's his name," he said, as if she was expected to know.

"Right…."

"What were you doing in there then Luigi?"

"It's Lucy!" she hissed. Sighing she picked up one of her last fries and chewed thoughtfully. "I was looking for a job."

"A job? There?"

"Anywhere right now. I have some experience behind the bar and I've worked at a diner or two so I've got waitressing experience. I thought I might try and see if anyone was hiring, but so far nothing. "

Letting out a sigh, she slouched slightly in her seat, feeling suddenly defeated. The last of her cash that she managed to withdraw from her bank account before she left was almost gone. She knew if she used her account her father would be able to track her almost instantly, so that was out. She'd done a few cash jobs here and there but she needed a steady income so she could set her self up again. It was hard living out of a suitcase.

"But there's a place I really want to work," she mentioned, sitting up straight, unable to contain the excitement in her voice. "I heard it's hard to get an interview there, but I'm gonna work there one day. You can count on it."

Natsu mumbled something that sounded like 'you talk a lot' through a mouthful of food with Happy giving a meow of agreement but Lucy, too busy gushing over her future employment prospects, didn't hear him.

"Anyway, Natsu, I was wondering why you were in that bar earlier tonight?"

"Oh, right," talking through a mouthful he swallowed it painfully, "I was looking for Igneel."

"Igneel?"

"Yeah, I heard a rumour that a Salamander was going to be making an appearance in that bar so we came to see if it was him. Turns out if was some other guy. Defiantly not the Igneel I know."

Happy meowed again, threading in his spot on Natsu's bag. He had decided to venture out and make his way on to the table where Natsu had placed his backpack and make himself at home curling his tail around himself.

"And I bet that guy can't even breath fire," Natsu continued through two onion rings he'd managed to fit in his mouth at the same time.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow.

"Igneel can breath fire. He used to have a show that he would do and part of it was breathing fire."

"So, he's a performer? Was the bar advertised that he was performing?"

"Well, no."

"Then, how did you know he was going to be there?"

Natsu held up a finger about to retort but paused, suddenly realising that he really didn't have a lead to go by. Lucy shook her head slightly and pulled some money out of her wallet, placing it in the middle of the table.

"Well, I've gotta run. I have a lot of resume's to give out tonight. Thanks again for your help. Maybe we'll run into each other again." She gave the cat a quick pet on the head, Happy letting out a small mew in return, and headed for the door. The waitress began to thank her but stopped, staring behind Lucy. The blonde turned and froze. What the hell was he doing?

"Thank you for the food!" Pressing his face to the ground, on his hands and knees, the pink haired boy bowed, his cat doing the same. What the hell?!

Lucy felt her flush in embarrassment. "Look its fine, don't thank me. You helped me out so I was returning the favour."

"But I didn't really do anything, I just couldn't let that guy get away with it," he insisted, raising to his feet his finger resting on his chin in thought. His expression had Lucy perplexed; it was unreadable. What was this guy thinking? He suddenly grinned at her.

"Now, Give me your phone," he demanded, holding out his hand expectantly.

"What? No way!"

Giving her a pointed look, he held his hand out further towards her. She frowned, holding her ground.

Natsu let out a sigh and reached in to his pocket, bringing his own phone out. He pushed a few buttons on it, leaving Lucy to wonder if she should bolt out the door while he was distracted. Before she got a chance to put the thought into effect, he held out his phone to her. It was on 'new contact'. She raised her eyebrow at him.

"Put your number in. I'll call you; that way you've got my number in your phone, in case anything happens again." He gave her such a sincere smile that before she knew it, she had entered her digits in his contact list, before handing it back to the pink haired young man. He grinned that stupid grin again and pressed call, a buzz in her pocket confirming the correct number. What was wrong with her? She never just gave her number away? But somehow she felt she could trust Natsu. This guy was lucky he was cute… Woah, we're not going there, Lucy.

"Well, I've got your number and you've got mine. I've got to get going."

"Wait!"

Quicker than she could react, he was beside her, his arm wrapped around her shoulder to keep her in place, his phone in front of their faces to the front camera and snapped a photo of the two of them; Natsu with a large grin, Lucy with a perplexed look.

She blinked and pushed him away. "Hey! Not cool! Who said you could take a selfie with me." She growled, her hand forming a fist as she walked towards him. He held his hands up in defence.

"Sorry Loony, I just thought it would be a reminder of a fun night. Not many people I've met are as nice as you."

She released the tightness in her hand, her anger dripping away at the sincere look on his face. Well, it was only one photo.

"Fine…but don't post it online. I swear I will find you if you do," she threatened crossing her arms challenging him with her eyes to say otherwise. He didn't protest, nodding and putting his phone away.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Lucy, her exhaustion setting in, said her good byes to him and left in a hurry. A few blocks away, Lucy sighed and slumped into a park bench. Her energy level was severely depleted with the 'excitement' of the night so far. Leaning back and swinging her legs around the edge, she laid down and stared at the sky. The park she was in was small and was in the edge of the night life district of the town, but it was still busy. She figured when she ventured out to give out her resume that it would be quieter on a Friday night. Oh was she wrong. Apparently in Hargeon, Friday night was IT.

It was nearing 9pm and she could hear various night noises from around her. The train's horn blaring as it left the station and the bars full of patrons, their voices ringing out in to the night. She sighed. She wished she could be in one of these bars having fun herself, surrounded by friends, but that would require money…and friends. A buzz in her pocket alerted her to her phone. She reached in and retrieved it, a message appearing on the screen. It was the selfie that Natsu had taken with her. Her tongue poked out of her mouth in annoyance. That jerk. She opened the message to full screen, zooming in on her own face. Ugh, not her best photo. At least he didn't know her last name, so he couldn't put it on any social media. Not that he'd be able to find her. Before she left home, she had slowly started to delete all her social media accounts: facebook, instagram, hell, even twitter and she barely used it. She didn't want an online presence. That would make it easier to track her. Then again…was her dad even looking for her?

She went back to the photo and zoomed in on his face. He was attractive, she'll admit. But she had no time or energy to deal with boys right now. Sighing, she made the photo Natsu's caller id photo. Not that he would ever call her or visa versa.

Opening her email, it was mostly spam, until she came across her online subscription for Sorceror's weekly. She'd paid for a year subscription before she left so at least that wasn't coming out of her bank account.

Sorceror's weekly was, ironically, a monthly online magazine for the bar scene across Fiore. She wasn't sure why it was called Sorceror's weekly. An inside joke she assumed.

Opening the email, she enlarged the cover and glanced over the articles that were featured and settled on a familiar name, Fairy Tail.

Finding the page the article was on, she began to read. The article was more of a review and was a descriptive and exciting recount of the author's night at Fairy Tail. From the different bartenders and their specialty drinks, to the DJ sets and private rooms; Fairy Tail sounded amazing. There nestled in the middle of the article did mention how a few rowdy members of the staff were famous for kicking out rowdy customers who were harassing other customers. It was this recount that had Lucy laughing openly, ignoring any looks she got from passer buyers. She liked that they weren't afraid to protect their clientele, even if it means getting a reputation.

"Oh man, the Fairy Tail employees sound like a riot. I'd love to meet them."

Flicking through the article she did see it mention more on Mirajane Strauss, one of the managers and unofficial face of Fairy Tail. She was a part time model and singer and Lucy idolised her. A few weeks ago, Mirajane was featured in a mens magazine as the centre fold. A tasteful shoot, mind you, but it didn't stop the blush from Lucy's cheeks as she purchased the magazine once it came out, desperately wising the ground would swallow her at the look the clerk gave her. I mean, a young woman buying one of these magazines is sure to raise some eyebrows.

The more Fairy Tail talk the more Lucy felt antsy. She wanted to go! Hell, it was her dream job. Work behind the bar, at the front of house, anywhere! She could even promote for the place if they wanted her to.

"Aghh, I want to go to Fairy Tail!" she exclaimed in frustration, kitcking her legs in the air.

"Fairy tail huh?"

Lucy squealed and sat up, looking of the new voice. Her head whipped around so fast her pony tail almost smacked her in the face. He was leaning against the bench, running a hand though his blue hair.

"Salamander?" Not this guy again. Grabbing her bag, she went to make a speedy escape.

"Hey, little lady, not so fast. I've been looking for you," he almost cooed, blocking her path with a sweeping arm.

"Have you now?" He was close enough for her to smell his cologne permeating off of him. It was so strong it made her feel sick.

"Yes, I'd like to personally invite you to the party I'm having later tonight on my yacht," he winked, sending a unpleasant shiver down her spine.

"No, thanks. Like I'd go to a party being thrown by a creep like you." Salamander seemed genuinely surprised she said no straight away. Like she'd be caught dead at his party.

"Well, that seems a bit harsh, don't you think babe?" Wait a second, did he just call her babe? Ugh. Vomit.

"You tried to feel me up in that bar earlier!"

"Can you blame me? You are a smoking piece of ass. So, what do you say?" Another wink.

"Not in a million years, perv. Just because you're famous doesn't mean I'm gonna fall for your crap," she seethed, storming away.

"Well the invitation still stands. By the way, you mentioned Fairy Tail right? Have you heard of the famous bar tender who works there?"  
Lucy paused as he continued.

"You want to work at Fairy Tail right? I could take you there. Put in a good word for you if you want."

"…really?"

Salamander grinned and grabbed her hand. She repressed the urge to smack him. "First, come to my party. Then we'll talk details."

In her head, Lucy was debating her options. On one hand: he's a creep and tried to feel up her ass. But on the other: she had no money and he was pretty much offering her a job.

She bit her lip. It _was_ her dream job. Pushing the negative thoughts out of her mind, she nodded at him.

"I'd love to go. But only if I get some one on one time with you," she winked and gave her signature smile, the one that got her way more times than she could count. If she wanted this job, she had to make him believe her. Salamander's eyes lit up and kissed the back of her hand.

"Well, that was easy. See you then, babe," he winked, and handed her a flyer with the party information on it. What is with this guy and winking? She wanted to staple his eyelids shut. Biting her tongue, she gave her best fake-genuine smile.

"See you then."

She waited until he was out of earshot to wipe her hand on her skirt, desperately trying to get the feel of his lips of her hand.

"Well, that sucked. But on the other hand...I can get into Fairy Tail!" she squealed, dancing on the spot. Finally, a paycheck and a way to get Plue out of the kennel. Things were looking up.

* * *

 **This took me forever!**


	3. Chapter 3

Lucy stared at the woman reflecting in her mirror – her long blonde hair gently curled to perfection and her large brown eyes emphasised by a generous layer of mascara, topped with a hue of colours. Her toned legs being shown with the long split in her tight, midi red dress, her best asset emphasised with the plunging neckline that would make any guy fall at her feet. She looked damn good if she could say so herself.. so why did she feel like she had just swallowed an egg. The blonde swallowed at the lump in her throat, flattening out her bangs for the umpteenth time tonight, the hair spray not quite keeping her do the way she wanted it. Ugh, of all nights?

Puffing out her cheeks, she spun on her heel away from the mirror- no more of that. She looked hot, she knew it. But…ever since her brief conversation with Salamander earlier that night she had a weird feeling. She had run back to the hotel room – luckily it was not far from her final destination that night, and gotten changed into her best outfit. The red dress was almost a protest to the girl she used to be, confined to the mansion she hadn't called home in years. Where all the tutors and maids, and the finest jewellery and clothes hadn't made her happy. The years of neglect by her father had her starved for normalcy. This dress was one of the first things she'd bought when she ran away from home. The mixed, cheap fabric that clung a little too much around her butt coupled with the large black heels that helped accentuate her legs and the fake diamond earrings in her ears- she finally felt like a normal girl going out. Of course, the first night she'd worn the dress it had been to a bar, much like the one she went to tonight to look for a job, and lets just say a few of the men had gone home with angry girlfriends. She couldn't help it. She was her mother's daughter after all.

Her phone beeped – a message from her Uber driver, alerting her to his presence downstairs. She grabbed her purse (and her pepper spray…just in case) and almost ran out to the street. A passing car filled with young men slowed down and beeped at her, their faces appearing out of the windows with cat calls following their wake but she paid them no mind. She had a mission tonight – impress Salamander and get a job at Fairy Tail. The Uber driver was a older man who seemed to be very uncomfortable in he presence when she entered his car. He stumbled over his questions to her in an attempt to make small talk but she replied kindly.

She found herself staring at her phone as the driver wove through the streets of Hargeon. It was late – almost midnight but she was wide awake now. Downing two redbulls does that to you, she guessed. Her contact list she noticed was extremely short, consisting of three people. Brandish, her childhood friend- although she did torment her for years and Michelle her cousin. The only two people from her past that knew what happened to her. She missed them. Her finger hovered over the third name. Natsu.

She opened his contact ID and hovered over the photo of the two of them. She focused on her face again. At the time she didn't realise it, but she looked so tired in the photo. Her eyes were heavy, her hair looked greasy and her eyes, normally wide and full of energy were duller than normal. She looked over to Natsu's face. His was bright and his smile was wide. She liked his smile, she decided. Sighing, she exited out of the photo. Why was she so fixed on this guy? It's not like she knew him.

After a few minutes, she arrived at the destination. The Harbour. She paused in her exit of the Uber driver's car. That bad feeling in her stomach hadn't subsided. Opening messages, she typed a quick message and sent it.

* * *

"Man, I'm stuffed. Haven't eaten like that in a while, hey Happy?"

The cat meowed from next to him, rubbing his face against Natsu's leg. The young pink haired man let out a belch and leaned against a railing. They had made their way from the restaurant where the girl- what was her name again?- bought him a meal and settled in the edge of a park that overlooked Hargeon's impressive harbour. Natsu didn't really understand why she did it. I mean, he wasn't the type of guy to just let that stuff happen. But getting his ass kicked out wasn't really what he had in mind. Then, he got dragged around half of Hargeon to satisfy her need to make sure he didn't have a concussion. Strange girl. He got his ass kicked worst than that when he fought the ice bastard, one little fall wasn't gonna do much. But she bought food for him so he let it go.

His phone chimed in his pocket breaking him out of his thoughts. He read the message quickly.

A few chattering girls walked past and distracted him.

"Did you hear, Salamander is in town and is holding a party on his yacht!"

"Who?"

"He's that that bartender and DJ from Fairy Tail."

Natsu's eye twitched. Fairy Tail?

"Yeah, he's pretty famous. You should see how many followers he has on twitter."

"Wow! I wish I could have gone to his party."  
"I know right! It's probably gonna be epic."

His eyes sought though the Harbour until he saw a large yacht docked at the edge of the Quay, the light waves rocking it gently. There. A sudden wave of nausea hit him and he was forced to hold a hand over his mouth. Pushing past it, he scowled, thinking back to the text he just received.

"Fairy Tail, huh."

* * *

"You made it. So, it was Lucy, right? What a beautiful name, to match a beautiful girl."

Lucy smiled, hoping it didn't look too forced, as Salamander guided her though the yacht, his hand on the small of her back the whole way. She grimaced when he wasn't looking. She had made it on the yacht with plenty of time to spare before it was going to leave to make its way around the Harbour. Many jealous eyes followed her as she was shown to the VIP section of the yacht, while the rest of the guests stayed in the lower levels. She had to admit, it was an impressive yacht. Her father wasn't much of a sea lover so he never bought anything like this.

The room he brought her to was small, its walls hung with white curtains. In the centre was two couches with a small coffee table in between. He invited her to sit on one. While she went to sit down she noticed a balcony overlooking the exposed section of the yachts lower level. There were girls everywhere. But, no guys that she could see. Before she could investigate further, he passed her a drink.

"Uh, thanks," she said, taking the sparkling champagne glass that he handed her.

"To a lovely evening," the blue haired man said as brought his identical glass up to a toast, as he ran his eyes up and down her figure. She put on her best fake smile, ignoring the shiver that went down her spine. Ugh. Just a little longer, Lucy.

"Yes, and to Fairy Tail," she replied, batting her eyes at him, taking a sip. Funny, this champagne tasted a little strange. Her eyes widened in realisation.

"Who do you think you are?" she hissed, almost slamming the glass down on the coffee table, "This champagne is spiked."

Salamander narrowed his eyes at her, before a horrible grin stretched across his face.

"Hm, never expected you to figure it out so quickly."

He clicked his fingers and the surrounding curtains opened to reveal a dozen men, most carrying a girl over their shoulder. They were unconscious. Lucy's eyes widened. Oh no. Grabbing her purse, she opened it and tried to grab her pepper spray. At that moment, the yacht departed from the dock. The movement swayed her and she fumbled with the spray in her haste and dropped it, rolling away from her. Salamander caught it under his food, smirking.

She grinted her teeth and seethed at him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Salamander smiled, raising himself from his seat.

"Well, aren't you a handful. You'd best keep quiet til we get to Bosco. And don't piss me off," his charming smile twisted in a sinister grin. Lucy grinted her teeth. Bosco? They're going to Bosco?

"You said, you said you'd get me into Fairy Tail."  
"Oh, yes. That. That was a lie. It was just to get you here. You and these other lovely ladies will be sold to the highest bidder."

Lucy gulped. Thinking quickly she made an attempt to run past them to the door but one grabbed her wrist and twisted it painfully in to her back. She gasped in pain and was forced to sacrum to his will as he led her back to Salamander.

Lucy felt her resolve slipping. This situation was growing hopeless. What should she do? What could she do?

 ** _BANG!_**

The door on the side of the room broke off its hinges and fell in to the floor. Everyone gasped and looked over to the cause, but no one was more shocked as Lucy.  
"Natsu?"

* * *

 **Short chapter, sorry! But the next should be up in a few days. :D Please review if you like!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! Thank you for your lovely reviews. I have been SO busy the last few months finishing off my semester and working full time as well made me so busy. I'm also planning a trip to Japan in a few months which has been taking a lot of my time. Anyway, without further ado, the new chapter!**

* * *

The pink haired man stood in the doorway of the room, the door knocked off its hinges, glaring at Salamander. His clothes looked roughed up compared to when Lucy saw him earlier that night, his hair dishevelled, his jacked ripped and his pants looked as though they'd been cut. His left eye saw darkening and forming a black eye. From what she could see from the distance, his knuckles were bloodied. He'd fought his way in, Lucy realised. She had felt such a wave of relief when she saw him but now.

"Hey! How did you get in here!" one of the men demanded, taking out a knife and holding it threateningly in Natsuís direction.

The yacht suddenly jerked and Natsu dropped to his knees holding on to the doorway, a hand grasped to his mouth desperately.

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna yack."

Lucy's mouth hung open. Was this guy for real?

"Men! Grab this brat!" Salamander yelled.

His men jumped to action, breaking out of their shock of what had just happened. Natsu dodged the first man with the knife and pushed his face into the doorway, knocking him out. Another came at him quickly. Shifting his body to block, he then grabbed the back of the other man's shirt and pulled hard. The shirt came up over the attackers eyes and blinded him momentarily, before Natsu kicked him hard in the rear, causing him to fall into the open hallway. He still looked quite green, clearly still nauseous for unknown reasons, but he was still taking them out one by one. Lucy struggled against the man restraining her, his grip tightening when she pulled.

The more then came, the more Natsu seemed to slow down. But, just he didn't give up. The last man fell and Natsu let out a large breath, wiping some blood from his mouth. He got hit with a lucky punch to the jaw from the last of Salamander's men.

"Huh, that all you got?" he laughed, challenging Salamander, an arrogant smile gracing his injured face.

Salamander swore to himself, throwing his glass of wine to the floor. He pointed at the last man who was holding Lucy.

"You! Don't just stand there! Stop him!"

Letting out a shout, he pushed Lucy away and barreled towards the younger man, his arms outstretched; desperate to avenge his fallen comrades. As soon as he was close enough, Natsu maneuvered out of path, took hold of the other man's arm and flipped him over his shoulder in a martial arts move that Lucy didn't recognise. The man landed heavily on his back, knocking him out. Salamander let out a growl, his eyes flashing in recognition.

"You little shit! You're the one from earlier tonight, aren't you?"

Natsu ignored Salamander, turning his eyes to Lucy.

"Hey," he grinned, like he didn't have a care in the world, "got your message."

Lucy couldn't help but smile.

"You're a little bit later than I'd hoped," she joked.

Natsu let out a short laugh and winced, holding the right side of his chest. Lucy's eyes widened. His ribs? He was hurt.

The cock of a gun broke her attention away from Natsu. Salamander pointed a small handgun at the young man, fury in his eyes.

"Why you little-OW! WHAT THE FUCK!"

Lucy looked down Salamander and saw-

"Happy?"

The small cat was wrapped around Salamanders leg, his teeth sunk into the flesh of the man's ankle. Salamander dropped his weapon and pulled at Happy in desperation. Lucy saw her opening. Running over quickly, she kicked the gun as far away from Salamander as she could before running towards Natsu. She reached him and immediately put her arms around him, supporting his weight. He grunted, from his probable broken ribs.

The boat dipped suddenly and he grabbed at his mouth.

He had motion sickness from the boat, she summised. Looking around, she tried to think of a plan. They needed to get off this boat, now!

"Come on, we gotta get out of here," she hissed.

"Not without Happy," he grunted, attempting to pry himself out of her grip and get his cat from the madman in front of them, who was still trying to pry the cat off his leg.

"Get off! Get off you little-"

Finally pulling Happy off, he threw him a distance away, the cat landing on its feet and hissing back at Salamander. He ran over to Natsu and jumped onto the manís shoulders, purring and rubbing his face against Natsu's in affection.

"Good boy Happy," Natsu said happily, petting him.

Salamanders attention whipped back to the pair, fury in his eyes.

"You two have been more trouble than you're worth." He reached down for his gun but realised it wasn't there anymore.

He swore to himself and glared at Lucy.

"You. You're not worth the money you'd sell for, you bitch! You and your little boyfriend are gonna get it."

Ignoring the boyfriend jab- hell, she'd just met the guy!- she glared back at the blue haired man.

"Hey looney," Natsu said, getting Lucy's attention. Wait, did he just call her looney _**again**_? This guy...

"Take Happy and get off this boat. I'll handle things here."

"What? No! I can't do that," she hissed back, tightening her grip on his arm which was slung around her shoulders supporting him.

He turned his head towards hers.

"Just do it. I have a score to settle with this imposter." Something wild flashed in his eyes and for a second, Lucy wondered if Natsu himself was dangerous.

Lucy nodded and gently let go. Natsu grunted and adjusted his weight to support it himself again.

Happy jumped off of Natsu's shoulder and headed out the open door, which made Lucy wonder if the cat actually understood his owners words. She followed the cat and stopped in the hallway.

Salamander had his eyes on Natsu, his fists raised defensively. He wasn't armed, which was good, but Natsu was injured and tired, but the better fighter it would seem. It was anyones win in Lucy's eyes. She shook her head and turned around, her eyes catching a small familiar cylinder near the doorway. Her pepper spray! This would come in handy.

Grabbing the _Aquarius_ branded pepper spray, she ran out the door.

She saw Happy further down the hallway. He meowed ran further down, stopping when he reached the end. Lucy cocked an eyebrow. Did the cat want her to follow him?

He meowed again and ran further along, forcing Lucy to follow in a jog.

"Hey, wait up!"

The blonde followed the cat for a few minutes, only running into one man who was no match for an eye full of pepper spray.

Finally, they reached a room. The door was closed. Lucy stood by the door, hands on her knees and caught her breath.

"What's in here?" she asked, not expecting an answer. The cat just meowed at her. Should she trust this cat? For all she knew there was some fish in there or something? Nothing that could actually help her escape.

But she had no other leads. and for some reason, she felt she could trust the strange cat and his stranger owner. Sucking in a breath, she pushed the door open.

The bridge. It was empty, thankfully. Lucy did not feel like dealing with anymore thugs right now. Two large white chairs were placed in front of a control board. She didn't recognise anything- nothing, but what appeared to be a steering wheel. That could work!

Running over to the controls, she noticed everything was still on. She looked around, trying to get a glimpse of where they needed to go. She noticed the shore, flickering lights giving away its location, gradually getting further and further away. Not if she could help it. Grabbing hold of the wheel she turned it hard towards the direction of the shore.

The yacht lurched slightly but was still moving too slow for her liking. Her brown eyes darted around the controls, searching for something, anything to help. A meow caught her attention. Happy was gently pawing at her leg and was staring at something to her right. She looked for whatever the cat was looking at and her eyes caught a small lever. She cocked an eyebrow. Could this cat be...? Swallowing her apprehension, she grabbed hold of the handle firmly, pushing it up. The effect took a few moments before, yes, the yacht began to pick up speed.

"Yes!" Lucy let out a shout of joy. Perhaps too loudly.

"Hey! What are you doing in here!" A males voice broke her concentration.

Turning swiftly, she spotted another one of Salamanders goons by the door, a knife in his hand. He lunged towards dodged, but her arm wasn't quite clear of the knifes path. The gash it left stung and she clutched at it. The man swung around, the knife held up towards her. Lucy gulped, her eyes darting over to the controls where she left her handy dandy pepper spray. She gulped and held her throbbing arm tighter. Okay, Lucy, think. Think!

"You're gonna pay for this, girly. You and your little boyfriend. I wouldn't be surprised if Salamander is done with him alrea- FUCK! Where did this cat come from!?"

Happy hissed and jumped at the man, his teeth sinking into the man's arm that was holding the knife. His little legs wrapped around the arm like a boa constrictor.

"Good boy Happy!" The blonde cried happily, before spraying the man in the face with the pepper spray. He screamed out and clutched at his eyes.

"Fucking bitch!"

He grabbed at Happy but the cat dodged this time and jumped off, clear of the man's reached. He glared in Lucy's direction, gripping the knife harder and swung towards her blindly. She squealed and dodged, heading over to the wheel.

He followed, his movements growing wilder and wilder from the pain. Lucy continued to dodge his advances, rounding the bridge a few times, each time, his rage growing. The man let out a cry and lunged at her again, not unlike when he entered the bridge. But this time, she dodged, his arm passing her and the knife embedding itself into the control.

The powerboard started to spark and smoke, a small explosion emerging from around the knife. The man released the knife just in time but both were pushed back in the explosions force.

* * *

 **So that's chapter 4! Cliffhanger!**

I've been feeling a bit flat since seeing the final chapter yesterday. I mean, no kiss? Really? But I didn't hate it. Everyone seemed really in character, and I loved the Nalu interaction but at the same time I feel a lot of questions were left unanswered. Anyone else?

 **If anyones wondering why Natsu was so beat up, well, it's because he's _human_ in this story. No magic, no dragon slayer vulnerabilities (except for motion sickness of course). Just regular stubborn Natsu. And the amount he fights wouldn't change I don't think. So therefore, injuries. But as we all know, he's the type to fight through the pain. **

**I don't want to promise a new chapter soon, as my life is pretty hectic, but I do feel a lot more inspired so hopefully soon. I hope.**


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